Is speaking out the bravest thing you can do? The owner and editors of a pro-democracy paper in Hong Kong have been sent to prison. Some say they are part of a global story.
Democracy activist jailed for 20 years
Arrested: Lai has already been in prison for more than five years, after he was arrested in 2020. Glossary
Hong Kong - Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, after the territory was handed over by the UK in 1997. It sits just off the coast of southern China, and is densely populated.
Colony - An area or country under the control of another nation.
First Opium War - A series of battles between the British Empire and China between 1839 and 1842, over Chinese enforcement of a ban on the opium trade.
Lease - A contract allowing use of land or property for a certain amount of time.
Rule of law - The idea that those who govern and the government itself must be subject to the same laws as everyone else.
Macau - A special administrative region of China known for its gambling industry, and the most densely populated region of the world. It was a Portuguese colony until 1999.
Beijing - China’s capital.
Universal suffrage - The right of all adult citizens to vote.
Extradition - When one country officials send a suspect to another country to face trial for a crime.
Exodus - The original exodus is a journey described in the Old Testament. Led by Moses, the Israelites escape from enslavement in Egypt. They wander the desert for 40 years until God appears on Mount Sinai and offers them a home in return for the promise that they will worship him forever. This story is central to Judaism, and the word has also become a metaphor for any great journey undertaken en masse.
Visa - An official document permitting someone to legally enter and stay in a country.
ICE - In the USA, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Human Rights Watch - A charity based in New York. It was awarded the 1997 Nobel peace prize for its part in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.